Federalism

Abstract

The federal systems of Canada and the United States (U.S.) are difficult to define both individually and in comparative terms. They are similar in some ways yet very different in others. They have employed different strategies to deal with issues, diverse populations, and political structures. At the same time, both have relied on their constitutions to respond to change. Their strategies have moved between conflict and collaboration to attempt to support principles of democracy at different points in their historical development. Federalisms are highly variable; each is sui generis. Few if any generalizations about them are very robust. If this is true, then we have two quite different models to describe and explain. The task, then, is to understand how and in what ways they are similar and ask what common factors might explain why; and to understand the differences, and explain them.